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Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 09 Jan 14 - 06:36 PM For all our various difficulties - watching today's news reminds me of those who are out of their homes due to the latest train derailment and fire. and the amazing young woman still recovering from an acid attack several years ago. And all the other catastrophes in teh world. Yet, our things are what we are dealing with - face to face, right now. I came back from today's shopping and had a light lunch and became to tired I can barely stay awake. Wonder if I was exposed to something toxic-to-me while out. In any case, I did well Tuesday, making a new batch of chili, roasting veggies topped with cheese, and a big batch of brownies. I have remembered to check on drying clay, bought a new heater for the studio area and put it on a timer so it does not run during the night (there are two others, inadequate at these temps but ok for when I am not working. I finally got my brain in gear enough, yesterday, to put on wool socks and my fluffy slippers and place one of the little heaters so it is directed at my feet while I sit. Wonderful! A cold brain does not work effectively. R's repair to the ceiling has done wonders! A long, long talk with a dear friend in NYS yesterday, my first since the cheap LD kicked in! Land line cordless died in middle so I switched to the corded one and now have a new battery in the cordless. Yesterday and today I have done groceries, filling all the empty spaces in the food dept. I actually looked at the Home Depot flyer this morning and decided the on sale stainless garbage cans - one tall, two small - would be worth having. So off I went, pre-groceries, and bought 3 cheery foliage plants, a wireless doorbell and a LED motion sensor light to install over the front door - sick of struggling to unlock the door at night, or wondering if someone is at the door. And I am calling that a form of de-cluttering - frustration and annoyance! The more we can de-clutter, the better! In setting up the large garbage can it was hard to find a level spot on the deteriorating K floor where it could be placed, but I won in the end. The small ones can be used in bathroom and the would-be powder room - if it comes together in my lifetime! Though I am thinking they would also be excellent compost buckets. The main part of my rationale was to keep the mice out - not to make the hopelessly horrible K look better! I am still hoping that happens before someone falls through the floor - maybe in my lifetime! YES! a compost bucket is a better use. Next: Hot bath, I think. |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: LilyFestre Date: 09 Jan 14 - 04:53 PM Oh...I meant to post this the other day. There is a woman by the name of Megan who did a very cool video to the tune of Stronger. She is a cancer patient and the video touched loads of people and went viral. She then made a second video and asked for people to send their photos. I sent mine in and am thrilled that out of the thousands of photos she received, she picked mine to include in her newest video! Here's a link: People Like Us Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: LilyFestre Date: 09 Jan 14 - 04:49 PM Maeve, to be perfectly honest, I didn't want to do the BRCA test today. The possible results scare me silly. I did the test anyway and while I still don't know the results and won't for a few weeks, I feel like a large weight has been lifted from my shoulders. It's done. What will be, will be and we will go from there. Maggie...I hear the prep is the worst part of the colonoscopy. Get the softest TP you can find...you rear will thank you for it! ;) And hey Maeve...I don't know if I've told you this or not but I have this special mug that I have coffee in almost daily. Mornings are NOT Magical!!! ;) XOXOXO Nice to see you here! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: maeve Date: 09 Jan 14 - 12:05 PM Michelle and Maggie- I am so very grateful you both can and do make use of the health care available to you. Thank you. Maeve |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 Jan 14 - 09:44 AM I have marching orders - a reminder came to schedule my next colonoscopy. What a miserable thing to prepare for. I also have to go in for bone density and mammogram. This is a reminder of the anniversary with the physician I use now (GP) - she's the one who insisted I go ahead and get the first one done, she's a strong advocate of preventive medicine (a good thing!) Usually when I go in I see her nurse practitioners for things like sinus infections and poison ivy, but every so often there is this stuff. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: LilyFestre Date: 08 Jan 14 - 11:02 PM There was a 2 hour delay for the start of school today due to the excessively cold temperatures this morning (yesterday schools were close all day). For us, that means Jeremiah and I had some extra time at home this morning. I got some business tended to but no chores. I have running cold water in the kitchen sink but no hot water. I did half the dishes yesterday and couldn't feel my hands for a good half hour afterwards...BRRRR. Today the dirty dishes will wait. No running water in the bathroom sink or for the washing machine either. Thankfully, the shower is working fine! :) Tomorrow things should warm up and all will be working fine. After I dropped my little man off at school I went to a funeral for a man I had met a handful of times...good guy...but more so, I went for my dear friend Tracy (who I met during chemo). I was there for about 4 hours and did some people watching.....interesting stuff. Tracy called me about an hour ago and thanked me profusely for being there...she was there alone (her family was there but the dynamics are really screwy) and she said that my being there was so important to her and made the day go a bit easier. I didn't do much beyond hold her hand and rub her back when things got tough but I think sometimes those things mean more than words. In any case, I'm glad I stayed there with her. Tomorrow I go to have my port accessed, 9 tubes of blood for endocrinology have been ordered and I'm taking my BRCA I & II tests to be drawn as well. I've had the test sitting on my table for 2 months now...didn't want to know the results before the holidays because that would have wrecked it for everyone should the results have come back positive. On the up side, my hematologist and genetic counselor both feel very strongly that my tests will come back negative (which would be a huge blessing). I don't know the geneticist but my hematologist has always been upfront with me so I don't feel like he has sugar coated this. I hope, with all my heart, that he is right. It's a lot of blood to be taken all at once but I'm not driving so I'm not worried. It will all be over by 10:15am tomorrow. Sweet dreams. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 08 Jan 14 - 05:26 PM Four computers hit that I know of now. I feel sorry for the tech who set this off; we have hundreds of computers in the building, but when it hits staff computers you hear about it right away. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 08 Jan 14 - 05:04 PM Apparently I hit "send" just in time, like Scotty down in the engine room getting those di-lithium crystals to give a burst of energy just in time to raise the shields. Just before my computer crashed and burned. It seems one of our computer techs "advertised" a reimage to automate to the computers in the library classroom 315. I'm in the basement, different area, all sorts of things different. I noticed a little dialog box about reimage on the other monitor and hit send on my mudcat message as I realized it was counting down. My computer turned off and has continued to cycle through a loop that isn't working. I called IT, three have now come down. It also seems that others were hit by this - two others that I know of so far. Good thing I save my stuff on an external university drive, but it does mean I have to redo my desktop and free programs (browsers, etc.) and reset preferences. I was going to use a different computer in the same area but a tech needed to use that to navigate to his desktop to see what was happening. I'm now on a computer that has Internet connectivity but no access to the drives I was working on. "Toast" is the adjective used to describe my computer's hard drive data. I think I'm jinxed this week. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 08 Jan 14 - 03:20 PM And I thought I was having problems with my phone dying and my Internet withering on the vine. . . I've transferred my phone over to an old little flip phone so that I can receive calls when I am not in the basement of the library. My son assures me that he isn't doing anything about his phone today. Grrrrr. The one bright spot is that after that expensive oil gasket repair that I didn't need the folks at the dealership said that while they won't refund the money I asked for they will make it a store credit. The thought of dealing with all of that water when it is as cold as it has been - awful! Why don't you get boxes and instead of simply loading the VCR tapes onto your bed, put any of them that are available on DVD or via streaming on NetFlix into a recycle box, and the ones you need to transfer into a keep box. I think you'll be surprised at how many of them you don't need to keep any more. I certainly was. It's raining here today, and looks like wet off and on for several days. That will moisten the soil so that if it is warm enough on the weekend I can finally get out and pull or chop the old crop plants out of my garden. I might have to struggle to get myself out the door on the weekend - right now my brain seems to be stuck in the idea of "it is never going to be warm again." Computer is doing something odd. Later. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Bat Goddess Date: 08 Jan 14 - 01:53 PM Plumber arrived...and it's a BAD break where I thought it was (under the window), but it extends towards the sink and access there is through the bedroom closet -- which IS a problem. The tub enclosure might have to come off, too, but that's held on by screws not cement so that's no real problem. Sigh. But moving everything in the that needs to be moved to get to the bedroom closet should actually get me closer to my ultimate goal of beating the bedroom into submission. The problem is that our house is like the kid's game with the numbered squares and one empty square...only we've never had the empty square. And the closet itself is a problem that I've not been willing to face for awhile. First I have to clean up the flying squirrel shit. Then I have to move one wall of videotapes. I have NO idea where they're going, even temporarily. More than likely, stuff is going to have to be stored on the bed. Which means that, since the guest room bed is also cluttered and unavailable, looks like I'll be sleeping downstairs on the recliner for a few nights. It's a very comfortable recliner, so that's not really a hardship...just different. My sensible plumber (you have no idea how grateful I am that he replaced the shutoffs last spring!!!) would prefer to put off the repair until any possible frozen bits of pipe are unfrozen and either broken or not broken (Friday or Saturday), so he can fix it all at once (instead of having several possible crises to fix over several days). I can live with no water in the bathroom for a few days. We have a composting toilet and this is one of the REALLY good times to have a composting toilet! And I'll call my hair stylist and go there to get my hair washed, maybe tomorrow. But all the moving in the bedroom is the opposite side of the room from the problem I've been working on, which is clearing out stuff in front of the trunk, moving the trunk and the chair and cleaning out the cat poop (Sabine being upset with Rufus's confiscation of HER litter box), then rearranging the trunk so I can put a litter box between the trunk and the dresser. No, there is no way to keep the cat(s) out from under the eves or out of the bedroom... I just put plastic between the pages of the one important paper item that got soaked. I mostly lucked out, especially as far as all the current important papers on the table, but the booklet for the large model of the Globe Theatre (in the cellar) that I'd like to sell was in the bookcase and took a hit. I cut up some plastic bags and put the pieces between each page so they won't stick together. When it's dry, I can iron the pages... Tom's yearbooks only got wet on the edges. Jeri and I were going to go see "The Hobbit" today... She, by the way, is fighting a couple mechanical problems in her car and with her internet/phone set up. So she is currently offline and will be offline until probably Friday (or Monday). I'm exhausted. And it's not even two o'clock... (But at least I just had a nice lunch.) Linn |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Bat Goddess Date: 08 Jan 14 - 11:39 AM Hope a Mud Elf can delete the duplicate posts above -- no idea how that happened. Anyway, I'm now waiting for the plumber to return my call and the water is shut off in the bathroom. At some point between when I turned off the computer and went upstairs (approx. 9:30) and when, after sorting papers, I decided to get dressed (approx. 10:30), the pipe (evidently) under the window in the bathroom burst and I discovered water cascading down the windows by the table downstairs. I quickly pulled the table out, disconnected electronics, moved some other stuff, then ran back upstairs to pull out the Rubbermaid drawers, etc. in front of the bathroom shut offs and got them OFF. Arghh. I don't think the papers on the table and in the bookcase have gotten much damage (Dave Hallowell's framed photo of Tom got wet but far from soaked) but I'm still coping (and trying to sop up the water now draining towards the kitchen floor). If I'd closed the shut offs BEFORE the pipe broke, I wouldn't have known the pipe had broken. Just got a call from the plumber -- he's on his way. So I've got to clear stuff out in front of the window in the bathroom. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Bat Goddess Date: 08 Jan 14 - 09:20 AM I've finally learned to actually LABEL those containers in the freezer...too late, of course, for some of them. The original intention had been to eat them soon enough afterwards that I'd remember exactly what they were. Trying to use up stuff now -- churn the contents of the freezer so I have some room for new stuff since so many things cannot be prepped for just one person. Went to take a shower earlier and found the bathtub water is frozen. No other water in the house is affected and the bathroom sink water runs fine. (But the bathtub line is on the outside wall, even though it's a south wall. Kitchen sink water lines are on the same outside wall but they're fine.) It's about 7 degrees F now, but should get up to 20-ish today. And continuing to get warmer until Saturday when it should be in the 40s. (And then the cycle starts all over again?...) But I suppose when I go out later with Jeri to see a movie (Hobbit) that I should close the bathroom shutoff valves. Just in case... Meanwhile, since it's not convenient to wash my hair anyplace else, I guess I'm stuck with waterless shampoo for the time being. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 08 Jan 14 - 01:16 AM Don't you just love those little mysterious meals in the freezer? That reminds me it is about time to pull out of brick of lasagna again one of these days. Turned in a job application (resume/letter of interest/references) today. Fingers crossed. There are a couple of other jobs that I'll apply for also - the same resume will work but they need different letters. My phone officially died. I really need my son to decide what he is going to do - whether continue with his own plan on this company or get a new phone and port his number to a new company. I can't go elsewhere with tag-along family phones still on the plan. As you can imagine, I've been prodding him pretty hard the last couple of weeks. Nothing much in the way of decluttering here in the last few days. Just keeping the static electricity at a manageable level so my hair doesn't stand on end in all of this dry cold. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Bat Goddess Date: 07 Jan 14 - 07:17 PM It was 10 degrees F. today and the wind was brutal...sun out, though. I had lunch with a friend in Portsmouth and would have gone for a walk on the beach but...did I tell you the wind is brutal?!? Tried out a new place -- Cemita Shack in Portsmouth and had a lovely lunch. Had it fully traditional today, but next time will prolly have either seafood or pork on the caesa'rita salad -- I'm trying to avoid as many simple carbs as possible. Besides the change from cooking for one from cooking for two, and not having to follow Tom's desires on cooking (which will mean more veggies, less meat, more other grains instead of white bread, white rice, or potatoes) AND I won't be required to keep desserts around. Did laundry this morning, but I haven't been doing a lot since the weekend. And yesterday I ended up on the phone most of the day getting something straightened out that I thought was taken care of at the beginning of December. Sigh. (Didn't help my state of mind, either.) Intended to get CD jewel cases today (for Tom's CDification of his 1986 cassette tape) at Staples, but they didn't have any regular 1-CD full size jewel cases. So broke down and ordered online. Also stopped at Savers looking for a mid-weight winter jacket to replace the ancient one I'm wearing (which I love, but the lining is self-destructing with age), and ended up buying a lovely forest green one and a heavier brown one, all for less than 20 bucks. Now I can retire the bulky but warm jacket I don't particularly care for (warm, though). I think a friend can use it. The green one needs the buttons sewed on tighter and the other one needs new buttons, but I think I might have some that will work. Decluttered another unidentified container from the freezer -- stew! Just had some of it for supper. Now, I think, I'll take a glass of wine upstairs and make some phone calls and/or read. Believe it or not, I was asleep last night before 8:30. Knee pain didn't wake me this morning until after 6:30. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: wysiwyg Date: 07 Jan 14 - 02:45 PM Son and DIL depart tomorrow. I will miss them and their fabulouz help. But I AM looking forward to couple days' naps-- I'm really tired!!! However I am letting Ohio friends know that I'm actually coming up for air. I suspect I may be ready for some fun by this wknd. I can offer tea here-- kitchen is working well now. Or we might enjoy a movie or laundry excursion if their schedule permit. The one thing I've needed, that I forgot to pack, are my old super-shock-absorbing shoes which I wish I'd had for my first week running like mad around this slab floor. But I can work with local options till we come back next month for Valentines. ♥♡♥ |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 07 Jan 14 - 01:33 PM Although we now have hot and cold running water! R left a cube heater in cellar by the pipes. I leave the water dripping all the time just in case. Yesterday caught up laundry including the bedding and re-making the bed. Ahhhh! clean sheets! Our "warm day" was not above freezing after all. R fell down the front steps (3) this morning hurrying to get the recycling out as the truck was at the door! Fortunately, just a scrapped hand. He cleared the steps with hot water and then put salt down. I am declaring myself officially OLD. I am literally afraid to go out there. After the recycling bin was empty and left in the street, I waited until someone was passing by and begged them to bring it close to my outstretched hand. Thanked the young woman in French and English. This may be irrational but without health insurance, I simply cannot afford a fall. I only really felt myself this morning. Not about to lose that by falling! Cleared a small drawer in my desk and managed to discard a couple handfuls of paper, sorted out check books for three accounts and discarded two very old sets of cheques, feeling guilty that I had re-ordered without checking the drawer! But now all is in order and up to date. Cleared the end of the laundry room in case R has time to use the found styrofoam to do that last "window". Sorted out a box of supplements that have accumulated - some from a friends parents several years ago! Some in trash, a couple emptied by taking them and a bunch set aside to google and see if they are useful, safe. what they are for and checked with my pendulum to see if they would be "helpful for me". That is a work in progress. It will help clear a floor space in BR. That plastic container under them?? OH! little potential gifts that I forgot I had. Can be stashed elsewhere. As will the remaining supplements once sorted. Checked Craigslist for a flat screen TV but only a 24" so far. Went through emails and see I am not the only potter to lack "fingerprints". I could not be fingerprinted a few years ago. No prints! I could turn to a life of crime! Checked the clay I put on plaster to dry yesterday and turned it, splattering it on my clean pants - oh well. At least I remembered before it was so dry I had to re-soak it. I may be able to do some work today. Need to find warm short sleeves to layer. I have managed four stints on the exercycle in the last week - one long enough to be felt as I was talking on the phone with a distant friend about her working up to four minutes. I just kept on 'til she commented on my puffing. Michelle's mention of chili was helpful. I have not done groceries in a while but there are ingredients for a new batch of chili! Also baked cauliflower and carrots with the last couple potatoes. OK, go put beans on to cook and then up to the "studio". |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 06 Jan 14 - 10:09 PM Well well well - the Internet is up and running this evening after all. The blinking in and out isn't a good sign, so maybe having the tech over in the morning is a good idea anyway. It never got over freezing today. I'll make sure the cupboards under the sinks are open again to let air from the house flow and keep the pipes from freezing. Down to 23o tonight, but tomorrow looks much better. By Friday it will be up to 65o but with 100% chance of rain. The weekend will be better - I'll make that my weekend when I finally get my winter garden in order. The broccoli look awful right now, still alive, but haven't grown at all. Soon it's time for potatoes and onions, and I want to transplant some asparagus. I worked more on the resume and letter of interest today. I think they're about ready to go - I'll reread them tomorrow and after any final corrections, I'll post them to the job site. I have a second job I can use this resume with, but I have to send them copies of my writing. I should tell them just to Google me. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 06 Jan 14 - 02:48 PM I stayed home for a couple of hours in the morning, but the dogs, when they went out, were more interested in sleeping in the sun (as cold as it is) than hanging out in the garage. But the garage is warmer now the sun has been shining on it and the heater is on. Turns out that the Internet died overnight. I did the usual troubleshooting things and it wouldn't start up so I've made an appointment for tomorrow morning. Today I have Internet at work and will read a book this evening. :) They're suggesting that rolling blackouts might be necessary with the demands for electricity today. And with all of the cold I'm finding that the alternate day fasting is almost impossible. My metabolism isn't letting me go for a long time without calories of some kind - I feel it more, so for this really cold stuff I'm just eating modestly. Small meals more often are what the cold calls for. When I came to work today I remembered to carry in some of the things destined for the campus e-waste recycle bin. A little bit more out of the house. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: LilyFestre Date: 06 Jan 14 - 12:48 PM I'm making chili and cornbread today to warm our bellies during the -30 degree temps predicted for later today. I'm also organizing toys and started to take down the Christmas gear. Stay warm! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 06 Jan 14 - 12:45 AM I know the cold we're each experiencing (in Texas it's down to 13o tonight) is relative to what we're used to - and for everyone it is much colder than usual. I'm seriously considering staying home tomorrow because I don't want my dogs out in that much cold (the high for the day is 32o) and they can't stay in the house from 7:45am till 6pm. They're house-broken, but they're not used to such a long time. Maybe I'll go in for a half-day. The garage has a heater, but it won't be very warm out there, maybe into the mid-40s for them with that heater. Today I spent the afternoon with my son - we went to a local museum and then out to dinner - and each time we went outside it was a chilly dash for the next door. He is going to school in Tucson and though they DO have winter there, it is milder even than here, so I suspect he's looking forward to thawing out when he returns for classes in a week. Not much in the way of decluttering this weekend, only that I didn't contribute to the problem. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 05 Jan 14 - 07:47 PM Saturday: first day out of house since the fall on Sunday. Too darn cold. But yesterday was warmer. R took booster pack and started my car and w went to library - where else! No hot water for a few days so no dishes or laundry. And not much else as too cold to think. But we went out last night to hear Bobby Dove - not too far away. But a pub which we usually do not do, but gentle. No food but "go next door and bring it back"! So we did. There were two customers in the hole in the wall carribean spot who greeted us with We stayed at your place!! (the cabin) We eat off your bowls all the time! OH, we know Bobby! We've heard her at.... Who ever would have thought of Montreal as a small community! That was neat. The food was good also and so was Bobby. Today after a late morning, We had brekkie and I made two pots of stewed apples (4 qts), having discovered the apple juice I had put on the floor next to the back door to keep cold had frozen and so had the apples! My arm quit with 3 apples undone but I hope they were not frozen. I could do no more. And have been in discomfort ever since. Then we went to CT for materials so R could do a proper job of the ceiling - mine increased the temp in the house by 5 degrees but he thinks he can do better. En route, we found a bunch of 1 inch styrofoam pieces, boxed, in someone's trash and squeezed it into my car. That should help. Enough to do the window in the laundry room but R says it has to be cleared before he can do it and I do not have the energy but I just reorganized it and don't want him to mess with it.... I HATE feeling incapacitated but it hurts more than ever today. Need to re-think the treatment. Even keeping my arm almost still, moving the curser is felt. More MSM and more apple juice. Hope to enjoy the above freezing weather tomorrow before the next onslaught of COLD. |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: LilyFestre Date: 05 Jan 14 - 07:22 PM I went out today...the first time in a few days....and did a little bit of grocery shopping. I also picked up a few things for my sewing room....a magnetic bowl (50% off), a small rotating cutting mat (40% off) and a storage box (50% off)that has a handle on top and is just the right size for taking a single project to a friend's house for a sit & sew....add an additional coupon for 25% off the total order and imagine me exclaiming *SCORE* as I walked out of the building..LOL Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 04 Jan 14 - 09:41 PM I've worked on a resume that is being crafted for three different job applications (three iterations - I won't send the same one to all three jobs). After a while it all becomes a blur, so I stopped before I lost ground. With the new year interesting opportunities have opened up on campus, including one that seems to have been written for me. But the last time I thought that I was blindsided so I'm not making any assumptions. I have some general picking up and kitchen cleaning to do this evening, and tomorrow I need to clear a bunch of stuff from the sun room floor and take it over to Goodwill. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 04 Jan 14 - 04:39 PM I think Katlaughing gets credit for starting these threads. I picked up the habit and ran with it. I think this essay is going to set the tone for a while - a kick in the pants to finish some of this declutter work sooner than the pace I've worked at till now. Time to hit a neat, uncluttered level to maintain and start contributing in other directions. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Donuel Date: 04 Jan 14 - 10:47 AM Is this genius thread the original invention by Stilly? 2013 my year of listening and not reflexive posting amounting to time savings and conflict avoidance. The cost of not sharing the profound or mundane is an interactive unknown. 2014 my year of sharing the singularities of honesty of healing and discovery while abandoning discussing 'truths' because every truth has an anti=truth or exception depending upon circumstances, environment or culture, |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Bat Goddess Date: 04 Jan 14 - 09:44 AM The roads were in horrible shape yesterday afternoon, despite the bright sun. (Which caused its own problems with glare.) Still so much wind and blowing snow, and since the snow is lightweight stuff, it just sits there and gets slippery. Not surprising on Nottingham roads, but Rte 4 was slow and slippery; I almost turned back at the Circle. Closer to Portsmouth, the Spaulding was clear of snow and slipperiness but Portsmouth Circle and the Bypass were not great -- better, though, than when I got onto Portsmouth streets. Really hideous. If I didn't know better, I'd say they hadn't been plowed at all, just powder compressed to slipperiness. Still cold today but not as cold as yesterday. Supposed to have a high of 24F, but right now it's about 6F. Oh, and the wind? It's still there. Sun's out. Driveway beautifully plowed. Deck cleared. Think I'll go back to bed and read for awhile. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: wysiwyg Date: 03 Jan 14 - 07:01 PM Mtns were fine as I boot-scooted out of 12" snowdrifts (after huge diner brekky with mah honeh) for vacay hse. God's light blinking green to reach house tmrw. Making good time. Trailer feels as good as our camper. Dog usual fretting level but glad not to be left. Hubby jealous. Am at motel youngstown area. One brief legstretch at hdwe store at midpoint run by friend-- grabbed sm items we will def need at camp ridgebury. At gas stop our Lord directed me to specific station where young angel man on way to youth camp kindly pumped tankful-- so I did not have to wake the dog who had finally settled. This "Mercer Angel" asked prayers for safe travel-- and we're adding prayers that all he touches is blessed and all that touches him is blessed and that their camp meet God's will in purity and holiness. Road bewful. Have pix. Finally slept last nite. Pumped. Plan to check out early. Hope to arrive by 11am. ♥♡♥ |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 03 Jan 14 - 03:48 PM It's chilly here but I'm feeling frozen after reading some of your entries! Stay healthy and warm, everyone! We're supposed to get down to 19o early next week. This is so odd for this part of the country, all of these continual hard freezes. I'm shifting my schedule to go to bed earlier and get up earlier - thanks again Alice for the advice about the amber lenses. I'll employ them as part of the process. I need to reset my nightowl clock (it's always worse after a long break when there isn't a bedtime for grownups). Not a resolution, just an observation that I'm tired of a lot of the stuff that comes through social media: I'm planning to cut back on facebook and switch back to reading links that come through twitter. I get better articles and far fewer embossed memes over there. And last year I got back to a lot more reading of books on paper - I brought home from the library yesterday to scan through - I figure I'll narrow it down to one or two of them on this subject to read and return the rest. I'm back doing the alternate day fasting. I know I added a couple of pounds over the holidays; everything fits but I notice my jeans are a little more snug than before. I want to finish this, reach my target weight and move forward from there (and probably do the alternate fasting a day or two a week when I reach my target to stay there). It looks like we all have a cold weekend coming up. Everyone enjoy the time you're spending indoors and get a lot done now, if you're anything like me once the weather is warm and nice I won't pay much attention to housework, I prefer the garden. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Bat Goddess Date: 03 Jan 14 - 01:36 PM Okay, the deck is more or less cleared of snow and so is the car...again. At least this time it's stopped snowing and the sun is out. And the snow is fairly light and fluffy. I think we got about 7 or 8 inches. Took the car up to the head of the driveway to get today's mail. My plow guy will come back after I leave today and clean up where my car had been. Don't have to one of the errands (the most strenuous) until Monday, so I can leave for the Press Room session a little later. Maybe I can get some more photos of Tom together for a friend who is scanning them for a slide show... Really need my toes to warm up! Linn |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 03 Jan 14 - 01:16 PM Put on warmer top - another layer. Gave water and care to LR plants with fertilizer now the days are getting longer! Dusted the TV and tried to scrub the dirty looking parts of the love seat. Dish detergent did not do. I will try something stronger later. Went upstairs and started running water in tub, very slowly; then checked it later. still OK. Thought at least we will have water. Not warm enough up there to pot. Watered and fed big plant - touches the ten foot ceiling! Not sure what to do when it is really too big! Checked some of emails. Looked at "last minute" travel "deals". No place we would want to go. Think I shall start talking a trip to PA to visit family in early April. Maybe add on an excursion to the wonderful waterfront of Baltimore, or even DC. OR even back up through NYS and Vermont so R can finish exploring the Shaker village. It is too long since our last adventure. Now lunch with feet in oven and another found paperback - A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg. Need to phone library to renew books due today. Emailed the country library yesterday re same. And online banking. Nice when Canadian dollar is lower than US and I get lots more in the exchange. Do that before lunch. Then I will have done somethings useful. |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 03 Jan 14 - 11:42 AM Bonne voyage, Susan. Hope the weather is kind to you. SRS: reading on computer is what I do all day! Or so it seems and my eyes need breaks from that! I scrounged around in the myriad piles of books "there must be something here I could find interesting..." R collects books indiscriminantly. So, my while-I-am-eating and darn well tired of the computer book was a tiny 1983 paperback called Tea with the Black Dragon - light and lively. I finished last night about 1 am just as R came home for "supper". NY day was made great by an almost 3 hour phone conversation with the wife of my #1 son (most of that time) and my "wonderful son" - her words. That should hold us for a while! The recent death of a major Canadian Quaker and how the family - each of whom is known and more or less dear to each of us - is coping and the memorial services to be held in Vancouver (I am NOT crossing the country in January!) and, later, in Toronto which, depending on when, could be possible. Only a 6 hour drive and we could visit other friends as well. My son is working on a new CD, mostly of his own compositions. He is very very good at his Django jazz so this is something to look forward to. I "know " he is good because other people tell me so. Each son gave me advice on TV/computer connecting. So, if R decides to clutter our lives with a new TV - not from Craigslist free - I have a clue or two. Which reminds me I am supposed to drive to Laval today to pick up clay I ordered. With the weather at minus 9F and my car has been sitting since Saturday, I am going to de-clutter today by forgetting that until next week when it may go up close to 30F. Though it may snow again on Monday. My arm is almost back to normal from Sunday's fall. Still needs some assistance to reach high but I can brush my hair. So I can drive - maybe tomorrow we can go to the country. I did not need warnings to stay indoors yesterday (minus 13F). My goal in life was, and is, to stay warm - feet in oven. Finally realized the hole in the bathroom ceiling needed SOMETHING - the remaining bits of styrofoam and padded mailing envelopes and duct tape - YEP! and got the K up to 68 with the oven and two little electric heaters. But since I did not use the hot water all day, it was not until R came home and needed to wash up - there is none! So one heater is in the cellar trying to thaw, or prevent further freezing. And the cold water is working and left on at a drip in hopes we not lose it also. That severely clutters life! Some serious attention to the electric in this house would de-clutter my life amazingly. R is so rarely here... But he sure hated getting into the cold bed last night. Thankful for the heating pad!! Maybe after this latest crisis at work I can lobby for better heating... with some success?? The attention to the ceiling means it is almost 60 in the LR and a bit better in the K where there is now only the oven for heat. So I closed the door and am staying in the K - with feet.... I did go upstairs yesterday to see if it were warm enough to pot but not. Maybe today. I am quickly losing energy and falling into that I don't feel like doing anything morass. Have to keep warm or a sort of pre-hypothermia can set in. I did a little research on this when my neighbour in Ontario died in the other neighbours' back yard. It becomes increasingly dangerous as we get older and I had to force myself to get out of bed on cold winter mornings to stoke the wood fires before my brain did not care anymore. There must be something useful I can do today - maybe bake something. Put on a warmer top for starters; I have gotten really cold while writing. |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: wysiwyg Date: 03 Jan 14 - 09:25 AM Pulling out over killer Bloss Mtn at noon. Prayers invited. ♡+++♥+++♡ |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: LilyFestre Date: 02 Jan 14 - 08:13 PM I was busy this morning with laundry, dishes and cooking. I really hate having a sink full of dirty dishes or an overflowing hamper...especially if the power goes out and then I'm stuck with the mess for a bit. Silly? Maybe, but that's just me. It has been snowing since yesterday and we have maybe a good 8 inches or more of snow....and it's still snowing! The weather man says that the temperature will be minus 25 tomorrow...BRRRRR. The schools were closed today and are closed for tomorrow already as well...it's just too cold for the little ones to be outside waiting for the school bus. Pete always keeps us in decent firewood but he has a bunch of dry, seasoned ash loaded up in the wagon inside and more outside under cover....ash catches easy and burns HOT....perfect for the bitter cold that is coming. I think we are going to take the Christmas tree down tomorrow...maybe not...we shall see. :) Whatever we do, it will be inside! I got to do some reading this afternoon and we all played with Jeremiah's new marble run.....he just loves to drop the marble in and watch it go. He's been singing all day...such a happy little guy!!! Makes my heart happy! I've also been planning some more quilting activity. I got a steal of a deal on some fabric today (a layer cake of civil war fabrics) and even though I have a bunch of projects waiting, this fabric is just calling my name!!! I can't wait until it arrives! Stay warm everybody! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 02 Jan 14 - 03:07 PM Dorothy, you should be able to find all sorts of stuff to read on the computer even if you don't have a good book. Check out Bartleby and Google Books (I searched on "free books classics" - there are some real gems in there.) Back at the office today. Very quiet and I came in mid-morning. My hairdresser called in sick just as I was leaving for that appointment so it is rescheduled so I used the time for driving over to the camera repair place to take in an expensive lens that needs the autofocus repaired. Lenses are electronic with motors and chips these days, and they usually cost more than the camera body, so it is worthwhile to repair them. Something I've put off but decided to get taken care of in this new year. Stay warm, Michelle and all - it looks like another cold few days. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: wysiwyg Date: 01 Jan 14 - 06:00 PM My goals for 2014 as far as home stuff are not really so much focused on decluttering, which has pretty much been done, but more in the nature of downsizing within the primary residence while furnishing a modest little vacay house commensurate with the amount of space I believe we will eventually need in retirement. To that end I've been posting about a way-too-fast trip to Ohio with the first load of furniture/appliances for our little 3BR/1 bath bungalow. As of today: The cargo trailer is LOADED AND STRAPPED-- 1.5 hours x 3 men. The van is mostly loaded, with a few light pieces to add tmrw, and the van is all gassed up for Friday's departure. Hardi's brother and SIL will come get cleaning started Sat. AM. Then, about noon, i should arrive. A newish Ohio church friend has offered to help my son and DIL unload, which frees up some bucks for repairs indicated by our inspector. This means that instead of endangering my fragile spine unloading, I can use my energy and pain meds to sort and clean packed items with DIL while visiting w her and son-- who I seldom see. . Finally, a great blessing via FB today-- a free fridge to take down there on the February tri Hardi and I have planned. ♥♡♥ |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 01 Jan 14 - 05:33 PM minus 2 here. I am in hibernation. A friend phoned this morning to invite us out for "coffee" but R phoned at 11 last night to re-inform me. He stayed over at the mill --- and is not back, nor has phoned, since. I have no inclination to go to the South Shore - cross a bloomin' bridge - today, in this cold, alone, to visit someone who does not listen. Never mind the alternative is to be here alone in a cold house - on FB. No good book to read. Had an hour long skype from 2nd son and got to see the gorgeous grandsons for the first time in over a year. 16 and almost 13! Shocking to see my son looking older (50). The years have flown by. Son was giving me computer advice and even in a way I could understand! R considering a flat TV and I want to be able to connect computer. Means another LONG trip to the Apple store. Not this week. Weather is supposed to warm on the weekend - almost up to freezing on Sunday. A chat with a friend in PA elicited: my bro has driven a bus load to NYC so he is not home. My other son was not home. Cheap long distance has not kicked in yet so not many people I can phone. Good comments on FB and a very interesting article on Environmental Health News that triggered an email to a person who spent most of his life doing significant (to me) work to improve chances of kids growing up non-aggressive. It hit me because he started in montreal when I was here and I feel as though that was a missed boat. I can only say, I have done what I could. Something to think about - is there more I can still do. Hope we all have the best possible new year. |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 01 Jan 14 - 11:47 AM You two, good luck with the VCR tapes! I have a tall bookcase I built for books that now holds all of the tapes (they used to be stacked around but I got rid of a lot during 2013). I need to start digitizing them. This is the 1 hour program that started me on my journey of weight loss. This program hosted by Dr. Michael Mosley played as one of a series on PBS last spring (the UK program is Horizon) and this episode looks at forms of fasting to live longer and healthier. The alternate day method has worked for me. Every other day eat only 500 calories, and on the "feed" days eat your normal diet. Be careful not to eat too much protein on your feed days or you can end up a bit constipated. I haven't stayed with as much this over the last couple of weeks, but today is the alternate day, so I'm having a late small lunch and maybe a piece of fruit in the evening. I've lost 35 pounds since last April and have about 15 more to lose. http://vimeo.com/54089463. I'm working on a resume for a job opening at the university. It would be a lot of work but the pay would be tremendously improved. Good thing that as I've decluttered my office I've organized my samples of my writing. I need to pull and scan or photograph a few for the application. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: GUEST,Ed T Date: 01 Jan 14 - 08:12 AM Last post was me (I resolve to reset my mudcat cookie in 2014) |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: GUEST Date: 01 Jan 14 - 08:11 AM In 2013 I resolved to modernize and get rid of all my two vintage VCR's, convert to flat screen TV's, get a tablet and convert all my VHS tapes to modern formats - all these I did - I now have a Galaxy note 3, with a wireless speaker (talk about a giant step for man :) Guess who could be one of the best dressed men in 2013. No, it's not winter-time Ed T or Gnu, donning Cdn. lumberjack attire,over a snow mobile suit, with Beaver Canoe ear muffs and a NHL toque. Get ready, according to Esquire, it's the current rc pope. While, I suspect Mr. pope has had a good start in turning the rc inside around, I never thought that roman robes and pointy hats would be back in fashion. Go figure odd year 2013. Best dressed Dude |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: VirginiaTam Date: 01 Jan 14 - 06:05 AM Finally did it. Got the old region 1 VHS tapes of my daughters in various highschool concerts and plays off to a professional transfer company. They will be set on long play, converted to region 2 and copied to DVDs. I have been putting this off since Andie passed away. I will have to force myself to watch the DVDs when the job is done to check they are all there and the quality of the recordings. The VHS tapes date back to 1996 through 2000. My plan once I have the DVDs is to tease out the bits with my girls in and post them to Youtube. I have mixed feelings about this. I am hoping that if I approach the task with specific purpose then I won't get mired down in sadness. Still waiting on the job thing to find out if and where I will be placed in the new restructure. Not too fussed about it this time around. I don't have the energy to waste on anxiety. I will try to quietly accept whatever happens, glean the good and possibly move on plans that have been on hold due to no energy after a day of work. Wednesdays off work. If I keep a job then I will insist that the Council honour the working pattern suggested and agreed by occupational health and my GP. I hope to have someone in to clean every other Wednesday using the extra benefit money I have been awarded. On alternate Wednesdays hold a crafting group with a few interested friends. TheSilentOne (husband) has decided to stay in his IT lecturing post for another full year. We have 2 things need doing before he can retire and we can move. 1. Replace the 1970s original kitchen which is literally falling apart. I have saved more than half of the cost of this project, by April or May I should have it all. There will be some structural change and expensive move of the electric panel and fuse board in order to make it safe, compliant and create more storage and work space. 2. Buy up 40+years on the lease hold since the 3 separate groups of solicitors have failed to secure the purchase of the free hold for our flat over the last 7 years. This is the very expensive cost. We are trying to get together a group of flat owners in on a combined purchase in order to reduce the solicitor costs. Big fear is that the solicitors will "f" it up again. Getting fit. I am hoping that the monthly anti - TNF injections will start working soon. I have only had 2 full doses. If I can get rid of the pain in bottoms of my feet (like they are covered in stone bruises), then I will deal with the hips and and ankles seizing up. Maybe start each craft meet with a walk, bulding speed and length each time. And finish each meet with some tai chi or qigong. Diet. This is a tuffy. Needs more thought. |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 01 Jan 14 - 12:25 AM I've made a point of pulling out the DVDs of movies I picked up but haven't actually watched. I've seen several this week, and have a couple more for tomorrow. Happy 2014, everyone! It'll soon be the new year here, so I need to bring the dogs in. No matter what the regulations to do with fireworks and firing guns, the local idiots do it anyway. Gotta keep the dogs out of harm's way and where they won't be upset by the noise. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 31 Dec 13 - 09:38 PM Nice and quiet on here! I hope everyone is having a peaceful evening. I finished my last novel today, having not gotten to the library in this weather, snow removal and bum shoulder. Tried reading something more erudite but brain not up for it. Did a load of laundry and made brownies. Had a decent lunch and supper. Spent most of time on FB, most of it usefully - offering info, support, gathering info and support. Shoulder is much better and MSM is doing a great job but still cannot raise hand above shoulder. I can lift it above shoulder with left hand but it refuses to move without assistance. I hope I can pot tomorrow. R went to the mill and reported by phone that plants are OK and warm enough, and which should he water or not. We plan to go back on the weekend when it is predicted to be warmer! He is coming back tonight but may have to work for a while. See him when I see him. I do have a few things bagged to take down for the thrift shop but there is nothing extraneous left here (of mine). Everything is at the mill and in the area too cold to look at before warm weather. I need to bring some winter clothes back here and still have not recovered my good winter jacket from being packed last spring. The birthday jacket given me on Whidbey has proven surprisingly warm - so far. At least the snow removal seems to be done. So nice not to be hearing the machines all day and night! |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 31 Dec 13 - 12:04 PM The downside of the threat of publishing this is that they may refuse to do service on my pickup after this. It's a old truck, it needs work. I want them to pay attention and give me real choices when they call with an estimate. They have done good (but expensive) work, but failed on this one. Yesterday I sorted the contents of some built-in cupboards in the living room that hide some things I forget about and don't use, so I'm clearing and re-thinking what is stored in there. I may make another Goodwill trip this afternoon to get it out of the house. No takers yet on the living room futon for sale. My daughter spoke up for it, but then the date she needs it changed, pushed back to September when the friend moves and takes his. If it doesn't sell for my asking price I suppose I can hold it for her, but I'd really like the space freed up. On New Year's Eve I don't make resolutions, it simply doesn't work. But during the year this year I found improvements that I recognized needed attention and worked on, and they end up as a nice list of accomplishments for the year, so I'll do that again. My ongoing projects, decluttering, paying bills, saving money, reaching my target weight, they will continue as before. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 30 Dec 13 - 10:02 PM Ouch! Too many slip and fall reports this year. A co-worker broke her wrist in a tumble in early December. I delivered a letter and the bills that go with it to my neighborhood Chevy dealer. I finally got it written, let it sit, and tweaked it a few more times. The fellow I spoke with was not impressed, he has his side of it. I took the truck in to have an oil leak, dripping on the ground under the truck, fixed. The service guy said they'd do the obvious, check the oil filter, then if needed, pressurize the system with dye in the oil to see where it leaks. They called with an $850 estimate and named gaskets and a sensor as needing replacement. I took it home after the repair and realized they hadn't fixed the leak. Same oil fresh on the driveway, so I parked in a different spot for a week or two and confirmed it. Took it to my Goodyear place that does my oil changes and asked them to change the oil and look at the filter and elsewhere to see if they could find the leak. He said the filter was bad. (If Chevy had changed the oil during all of this work I'd have never known they didn't get the leak with all of the expensive work, they would have simply done what I wanted and I wouldn't be the wiser.) So the yahoos at Chevy didn't look at the filter, and if when they called with the estimate they had said that it was the oil filter but all of these other gaskets needed changing, I would have told them to only do the oil change and I'd see if that stopped my problem. My mileage was fine, I wasn't adding extra oil, I had no complaints except for the small drip. So I wrote it down in the letter and said I knew the parts were in the truck, but I wanted them to refund the labor, because if they had done the simplest thing of looking all around, including the oil filter, that report would have been enough for me to decline the rest of the expensive repairs. He didn't see it my way. I left the letter, told him to think about it, and I told him I'll put the whole thing up on facebook and twitter. He wanted to know if the age and the miles were going to go up as well. Fair question. They will. I'll do it tomorrow if he doesn't call with some kind of offer. I could have spent $30 instead of $822 (final price). I resent that they saw me coming and listed the expensive stuff that didn't need to be bothered with at this time. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 30 Dec 13 - 07:29 PM We did not loss any important people this year. However, the loss of the cabin is hitting harder now that the weather is very cold -going down to -4 this week - and no toilet means no time in the country and this is a terrific downer for me. Add in the six months of coughing from environmental stuff and being really sick through most of our beautiful fall weather, I am not in great shape. I feel powerless as I have neither the energy to do the work nor the money to have it done and, in any case, it is not my prerogative. We have not been to the mill in two weeks and I am hoping my plants are still alive; there is enough heat but water? I never got to see the fushia open. I spent the entire weekend waiting for R to be ready to go down so got almost nothing done. Then, yesterday afternoon, when I thought, "Well we are not leaving now so I can go make pots." But first I went outside to check on snow removal and my car, slipped and fell on my bum right shoulder. Nothing broken!!!!! But the pain was close to the screaming level. I took MSM and it settled down. But I could not lift my arm until this morning. The MSM continues to control the pain; I am on to something for the ongoing discomfort; might even clear the problem. The two young men who rushed to pick me up deserve kudos - for kindness and for giving me the utmost respect of following my directions on how to do it so no further pain or damage would be done. I was lying in bed this morning thinking about how wonderful they were. This afternoon, I took a hot bath with hopes that I could find a way out of the tub again. The strategies we can find when we need them. Then I went back to bed. Still rather stultified and feeling the other places that were jarred by the fall. Poor R. I did phone him but there was nothing he could do so he kept working -but made himself a nice salad when he got home and offered me one but I wanted comfort food. He spread Nutella on some special cookies for me and later I had good store-bought humous and lime chips. Could not use right arm at all. Now I can - cautiously, with as little movement as possible; my upper arm is mentally tied to my side to give it healing time. The noise of snow removal equipment has been almost constant the last couple days and it is getting to me. I suppose the TV would mask it but nothing on. Maybe music. I so prefer silence that it does not occur to me that I can play music on the computer. Arm is tired. Much better today; maybe we will get to the mill tomorrow if I can shift gears. |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: LilyFestre Date: 30 Dec 13 - 05:47 PM I don't know if I'm ready to make any resolutions but I am certainly thinking back over the year, the things I would do differently as well as the things I would do the same or more of. :) I'll be blogging to get the entire thought process in order before I share here. :) In the meantime, I would like to wish everyone a healthy, new year full of much love, happiness and FUN! :) Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 30 Dec 13 - 11:46 AM Yup. Breathe, get enough sleep, and move forward. Small lists help. Whatever method works (starting with cupboards or a small room, rearranging the house by subject, ruthlessly sorting for a garage sale, etc.) when you can cross something off the list, you'll feel good. I have a staging area for my eBay work so after I've researched the item I can photograph, package, weigh, and have it ready to go. I leave the box open with a slip of paper that gives the item info, so once it sells on eBay I can double check the listing and be sure I'm shipping the correct item. The post office has a lot of free boxes for priority shipping, and you may find good cardboard boxes in recycle bins at places like schools or libraries, if you ask. Make the house look the way you imagine it can look. I have some running around to do today, and happily it is a sunny day out. Not warm, but at least a bright day for a good mood. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Bat Goddess Date: 30 Dec 13 - 09:47 AM After all the losses of this past year (even before Tom died, we'd lost eight friends or spouses of friends since March) and especially those since November (Tom, the love of my life; my mother; and Bob Webb, another friend), the holidays almost over, and I'm back from my mother's funeral in Milwaukee, now I can start to discover the new rhythm of my life... NOW I can get serious about the decluttering. Not just stuff taken to Goodwill or donated to the Nottingham library sale, but selling ephemera on eBay, bigger stuff sold more locally on Craig's List, some pricier books at Amazon, maybe an etsy shop for the vintage and interesting jewelry. Now that I can pile things in the middle of the floor without having to worry about Tom navigating around the house in his wheelchair, I can call the magazine guy...and the LP guy...and the antiques guy. Maybe with some of the legacy from my mother, I can get a real floor downstairs to cover the badly aging subflooring we've been living with for 33 years... I've started going to a monthly poetry hoot in Portsmouth, and an every other week song circle in Dover. I'm going to try to get to a few other music sessions in Gloucester or Newburyport, MA occasionally (especially when the weather gets better and if I can find a bed so I don't have to drive all the way home late at night) and other written and spoken word gatherings in Portsmouth. Continuing projects are The Archive/Tom's Musical Legacy, of course, relearning guitar (especially Tom's "Anglo-Saxon crash thud" method), my writing, and maybe finding time to do more beading and rubberstamp art. My New Year's resolutions are pretty much the same as they've been for years -- throw out, give to friends, donate, or sell something every day; learn at least one song a month; and try to add 5 minutes of meditation to the start of every day. I think just the change in meals now that I'm preparing meals just for myself (and after having Tom do almost all of the cooking for 30 years) will have me losing some weight. And making time to walk on a regular basis will help. And maybe, now that I have no excuses, the house will eventually get more or less CLEAN. But ultimately the goal is simple -- to continue moving forward. Right, Stilly? Linn |
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Subject: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 29 Dec 13 - 08:02 PM Here is the last thread in 2013. September - October, 2013. July - August 2013. June 2013. May 2013 April 2013 March 2013. February 2013. January 2013. This one is up and running a little early in case people want to sum up the year - as risky an enterprise as that might be for I've made several major improvements for myself this year. I started the alternate day fasting and lost 35 pounds. I did what to most will seem silly little things like finally get to where my feet are more comfortable because my toenails are grown and cut properly to avoid the regular discomfort of nails trying to become ingrown. I mostly conquered the dermatitis that has made my hands tender, though over the break I got into a few things that caused a flareup. I'm still tinkering with diet and foods and vitamin supplements to help the hands more. I grew a lot of my own food and preserved a lot of it via canning and freezing. I have interesting adult grown children, a good relationship with my ex, and I have good friends both in this area where I live, in other places where I have lived, and a whole bunch of people I've met online who (astonishingly!) I've known for upwards of 15 years and count as precious as those I know face-to-face. I'm doing a somewhat absurd little job after having been a one-woman publications and promotions department for many years. I hope to remedy that one day soon. I have personal goals that had been put on hold for a while that I'm reviving, such as getting back to more writing on topics I'm interested in (not just for work) and getting into a higher level of photography. I'm still fighting to clear out clutter in my house via gradually selling and donating to clear out, and when something new comes in, I make sure that something old goes out, whether a pair of shoes or a piece of furniture. My goals are simple - to continue moving forward, to find that new job, finish various jobs around the house that I started when I moved in, to enjoy my family and my friends and my house and garden. I will leave it to others to sum up what they wish or list resolutions if they want to put them in writing(!) SRS |
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